It’s not summer without Kids Kamp. This summer I’ll do three weeks of camp. And one youth festival, where we're literally camping in tents. If I feel the need, I can also work in Lugansk in August at another kids camp with friends of mine, but I’ve made no promises. Just don’t know how tired I’ll be.

I just came home from Zhitomer, a city about two hours from Kyiv. We were invited to help another ministry with their orphanage camp. In the last 12 years of my life, nearly all pretty the camps I’ve been involved with are those I’ve directed. I wanted to see something outside of the Markus Wolf model of Kids Kamps. I think it’s necessary for health and growth to see different perspectives and methods. Besides, it’s good not to be in charge, but to just serve once in a while.

But beyond cool was the involvement of the local church. The church is the key to reaching orphans in Ukraine. If local churches would embrace their local orphanages, the nation would be full of spiritual families that orphans could be a part of. There would be people to teach them, to hire them, to help them find their purpose, and embrace them when they screw up in life. That’s what the local church has been to me.

Our camp staff was a combination of foreigners (Americans and one Moldovan) and local Ukrainians from three of Zhitomer’s churches. They all gathered to use their gifts and resources to minister to the needs of orphans. A Baptist church, a Pentecostal church, and one I think was independent.

Sunday, after camp, in that same city I went to a church called Loving Community. The same worship band that played at church, played at camp that previous week. The counselors who wore jean shorts and t-shirts in camp were dressed a bit nicer for Sunday morning. So it was a welcome, familiar environment for the 12 to 15 orphans that joined the congregation that Sunday morning. The pastor welcomed the orphans and allowed them to be kids and to act like kids.

Whatexcites me is that the work we did for a week will be continued at a deeper level. Remember this is just one of the three churches involved. What a great model for Ukraine. I love this country.

I was thinking about what we accomplish at camp. We try to meet physical, emotional, spiritual needs. Ultimately, the best thing you can do for an orphan is adopt him. While that’s not possible for every family and every orphan, the next best thing is for him is to have a spiritual family. Certainly not all kids would receive a church family, but all kids deserve the chance to make that choice.

Everyone needs a tangible spiritual family, even us non-orphans. Christians are all part of the “universal body of Christ,” but that word leaves a fuzzy abstract picture. What’s real to me are the people who will hug you when you lose a loved one. People who will applaud your victories, and put a hand on your shoulder when they pray for you. Visit you when you’re sick. And if it’s true for me, it’s doubly true for orphans who haven’t got their fair share of goodnight kisses or backrubs.

July 1st begins another two weeks of camp for me. We’re expecting 200 kids this time, and I’m a bit leery with the sheer number of it. But if I can move closer to the model I’ve seen, I’ll be a truly happy camper.

¶ 4:10 PM

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